1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a snowmobile, specifically a snowmobile having a left-and-right pair of skis and a track belt for propulsion.
2. Description of the Related Art
A snowmobile typically includes a left-and-right pair of skis positioned at a front section of a vehicle body, a track belt for propulsion arranged to extend from a center to a rear section of the vehicle body, and a driving source such as an engine for driving the track belt (for example, see Japanese Laid-open Patent Application No. 2005-254979). The left and right skis are supported in a vertically movable manner by a vehicle body via a suspension mechanism that includes, for example, an arm member and a shock absorber. The left and right skis are steered via a steering mechanism including a handlebar and a steering column, a link rod or a similar component connected to the handlebar. The engine used as the driving source is accommodated in an engine compartment at a front section of the vehicle body. A crankshaft of the engine is connected to the track belt via, for example, a continuously variable transmission (CVT).
In such a snowmobile, the engine is driven, whereby the track belt is caused to rotate, and traction is generated between the track belt and snow surface, so that the snowmobile is propelled. Also, the rider can turn in a desired direction by using the handlebar to maneuver the left and right skis towards the direction of the turn.